He's done it again!
Ferguson dents Welsh qualification hopes
So Giggs will miss Saturday purely
because the flight is so far away. Didn't stop him going to Japan
in 1999 for the World Club Cup I seem to remember.
When he plays for Wales there's no doubting his commitment and,
proportionately speaking, he's man-of-the-match for us far more
than Beckham is for England.
But United's anti-Wales brigade could teach Anne Robinson a thing
or two. They've been on the Giggs case for over a decade. They
tried to persuade him to commit to England as a teenager so he
would not fall foul of the foreigner quota then in force in European
cup competitions.
They phoned up Terry Yorath repeatedly, urging him not to give
Giggs his debut in Nuremberg in 1991. Giggs played eight minutes
- thrown on when we were 4-0 down.
And of course we now get this well-documented 'will he, won't
he?' saga every time we play.
To his credit, at least Giggs never gave in to suggestions he
choose England.
But the worst thing about him missing a match is that it fuels
the widespread belief in England that he doesn't want to play
for Wales. That it was a mistake he regrets and that he wants
to play for England. In short, he's ashamed to be Welsh.
That has turned us into a standing joke. And, given that footballers
are thick, it hasn't helped us when we've tried to woo half-Welsh
players. Who can fault them for not thinking through the postive
aspects of playing for us and believing: "Well if Ryan can't
be bothered to play for them, they must be a joke."
All this is Ferguson's fault. His reputation as an ogre means
everyone is scared to cross him. Even the media have not made
an issue of it - though they would have done so by now if Giggs
really had been English and had missed so many games in eight
years. The strong (Utd) have taken advantage of the weak (us).
If we lose in Yerevan it may well be Ferguson's fault. Apart from
Bobby Gould, he more than anyone has damaged Welsh football severely.
So to the team. Darren Barnard could fill in for Giggs - his crosses
could be crucial in the end. Matthew Jones will surely replace
Robbie Savage.
But the problem is left back. I can't see Gareth Roberts, in a
poor Tranmere team, getting the nod. Andy Legg would be a better
bet for his long throws and he is a better passer.
Or Robinson could fit in - he's played many a match at full-back.
Mark Pembridge could then step into midfield. I can't see Hughes
abandoning 4-4-2 now that the team's started to play it quite
well.
With Hartson and Bellamy up front and Mark Bowen on record as
saying the pitch in Yerevan is poor, we may well start lumping
it upfield a la Norway. If we do, then I reckon Legg could start.
Hartson's Welsh career has been blighted by Bobby Gould and he
should have played far more than he has. Now's the time to deliver
on his promise as his international record is poor for a player
of his calibre.
Gary Speed says this is a match we must win. He's wrong. The match
we MUST win is against Ukraine. We didn't qualify for US 94 because
we didn't beat our main rivals often enough.
Ukraine will be there at the death. That's why we have to win
that match. A draw in Armenia would not be a disaster, given the
Ferguson hex and the absence of Savage, Coleman and Blake.
Bobbing Along will be in Armenia
and will be reporting on the under-21 game and the full international.
So watch this space for the progress of the World's Greatest Fans
- Gwyr Harlech - as we try to dream up an Anne Robinson song for
the Yerevan terraces.
adecolley@hotmail.com